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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22854505">Slow Dance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merkwerkee/pseuds/Merkwerkee'>Merkwerkee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Being Bruno Hamilton [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Masters of the Metaverse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, i guess, starts fluffy ends sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:28:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22854505</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merkwerkee/pseuds/Merkwerkee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As a young man, Bruno meets the woman of his dreams.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruno Hamilton/Lori</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Being Bruno Hamilton [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Slow Dance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the last night before he left for boot camp, and Robby was insistent it be a memorable one.</p><p>Bruno had never been what one might call the life of the party. He was just a little too serious, a little too aware of the consequences, to really give in to that party feeling. Still, he’d acquiesced when Robby - Robert Orman, who had lived two doors down from Bruno for most of their lives - had pointed out, not unreasonably, that he wouldn’t be having any kind of fun for the next six months and he needed to live a little while he was still young.</p><p>So here he and Robby were, standing just inside the doors to the gymnasium where the school was throwing one last dance to celebrate the end of the school year. The music was playing, couples danced on the open part of the floor, and the punch bowl was guarded by a fierce-looking Mr. Edwards. Bruno had to smile at Robby yanking at his arm enthusiastically as they headed across the floor, his friend waxing rhapsodic about the new girls from across town whom he’d heard would be making an appearance.</p><p>It didn’t take long for Robby to be thoroughly distracted by a pretty girl; as one of the better-looking boys in the class - and a reputation for being a pretty decent dancer - he rarely went without a partner for long. Bruno took the opportunity to go and loiter by the punch table, nursing a glass of sickeningly sweet fruit drink and earning ever more suspicious glances from Mr. Edwards. It wasn’t that he didn’t like dancing, but at a head taller than most of the class the girls tended to find him…..intimidating.</p><p>“Excuse me,”</p><p>Bruno looked around in surprise, it taking a hot second for him to look down….into the most heart-stoppingly gorgeous face he’d ever seen in his life. Delicate features almost ethereal in their elfin fineness were accentuated by shoulder-length hair that curled just a bit too much to be fashionable but suited her perfectly. She met his eyes squarely, not even the slightest bit daunted by his much-greater-than-her height. In fact, her chin was up and her face all but dared him to make a comment.</p><p>So he did.</p><p>“Bruno,” he said, and held out his hand. She blinked, but then gave him a warm smile. “Lori,” she responded, and put her hand in his. Obeying some strange impulse, he bent and brought the hand up delicately to his lips, giving it the lightest of kisses. “You sure? You look a bit more like an angel to me,” he said, and immediately felt foolish up until she blushed lightly and giggled.</p><p>“Such fine manners! You’re a real gentleman aren’t you?” She asked, laughter in her voice, and he ducked his head a little in embarrassment. “No, no, don’t hide. I…..I like it,” she said, voice soft. When he looked up her blush was stronger and on an impulse he tipped his head towards the dance floor, where the song playing had just ended. “Would you care to dance with me?” He asked quietly.</p><p>Her eyes lit up like stars and she nodded. Still holding her hand, he led her out to the dance floor and put one arm behind her back as she laid hers on his shoulder. As the music started playing, they started gently swaying to the beat.</p><p>
  <em>Wise men say only fools rush in<br/>But I can’t help falling in love with you</em>
</p><p>He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of having her tucked up against him in the shelter of his arms, then opened them almost immediately because he couldn’t stand missing even a second of seeing her.</p><p>
  <em>Shall I stay?<br/>Would it be a sin</em>
</p><p>She looked up at him and grinned, expression lighting up her face. “Say, you’re not a bad dancer.” Bruno couldn’t think of anything to say to that except “My friend Robby is better.” She gave him a wicked glance from under her eyelashes and the grin became a smirk. “Maybe, but he’s not the one I’m dancing with, is he?</p><p>
  <em>Like a river flows surely to the sea<br/>Darling so it goes</em>
</p><p>It seemed like she was the only other person in the world, like they were the only couple on the dance floor. It wasn’t much of a dance - more like swaying gently to the music with the arms in approximately the right positions - but he was enjoying it and she made no objection, not even when he laid his cheek on her head and probably messed her hair up.</p><p>
  <em>Some things are meant to be</em>
</p><p>It felt like they’d been dancing for hours when he reluctantly pulled away. "I’m not keeping you from anything am I?” He asked, and she shook her head. “Baby, we got all night. My mother won’t be expecting me home.” He grinned and pulled her close again, taking no notice of the way the lights were slowly coming up in the room, the way that the rest of the people had faded out in a the same fashion the walls were doing. He only noticed when suddenly his arms were empty and he was very cold.</p><p>“But you said we’d have all night…”</p><p>
  <em>Take my hand, take my whole life too</em>
</p><p>Bruno woke with a start, blanket half off and leaving his arms freezing.<em> “For I can’t help falling in love with you,”</em> crooned the radio beside his bed, and he turned it off before putting his head in his hands.</p>
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